


Stay With Me

by Anonymous



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Best Friends, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s03e20 Sozin's Comet part 3 Into the Inferno, Friendship, Gen, Protectiveness, Tokka Week 2020, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 07:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26349451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: As Sozin's Comet soars above them and the world slips into madness, Sokka and Toph share a brief moment of comfort. Inspired by the prompt "Anchor" for Tokka Week.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Toph Beifong & Sokka, Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40
Collections: Anonymous





	Stay With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Just a minor note, there is no romantic content here. I just really wanted to expand upon this moment in the finale, and give it some more depth. Their friendship is such a wonderful part of the show, and I wanted to explore it a bit in this oneshot. Hope you enjoy!

Sokka tumbled onto the warm metal roof of the airship, the half-somersault mostly breaking his fall. The nearby falling shards were beginning to kick up dust, making it more difficult to breathe. While trying to pick himself up, his eyes darted over to Toph. She was huddled beside him, only inches away. Large, crumpled sheets of metal and other debris were plummeting all around, some dangerously close to her slight frame.

Sokka fleetingly recalled the word's her father had used to describe Toph when he had first met her. _Blind, tiny, helpless, and fragile._ He rarely ever thought of her in that way. But seeing his dearest friend attempt to be as small of a target as possible, while things that could impale or crush her fell from the sky, it was hard not to. Every coherent thought in his head became, _help her, help her_. He didn't need the telling twice.

Not wasting a second, Sokka scrambled to her, covering her body with his own. Both of his arms seemed to move of their own accord, one rushing to shield the top of her head, the other wrapping around her shoulder. The cacophony of crashes was only increasing as the whole world seemed to shatter around them. All he could do was tighten his grasp on Toph and hope that they would survive the next few moments unscathed. The metal beneath them warped slightly with the most significant impacts, and for a moment, he wondered if the roof below them would give way. But abruptly, the tumult of noise seemed to die down. He dared to open his eyes, searching the sky for more potential dangers. When none appeared, he sighed and relinquished his grip slightly. Only when the ship below them stopped shuttering did he notice that she was trembling, her clenched fists wavering considerably. 

"It's alright; There's no more. You okay?" Sokka supplied, moving away in an attempt to give her space. He knelt next to her, but still kept a hand on her shoulder, so she knew he was right there. When she didn't reply, his already racing heart felt like it was harmfully picking up speed. His grip on her shoulder tightened. "Toph?"

"I'm super," she gritted out, still curled up and shaking. Sokka patiently waited as she unfurled, slowly getting her bearings. Suddenly, something seemed to dawn on her, and she bolted into a kneeling position, turning his direction. "Nothing hit you, right?"

"What? No," Sokka said quickly, her panic-stricken expression catching him off guard. It wasn't a lie exactly, but he still felt guilty for not telling the whole truth. He knew that he had taken a few cuts and scratches, and one of them had blood trickling down his right arm, but Toph didn't need to know that. "No, I'm fine."

Luckily, without her ability to detect his heart rate, she accepted the reply without question. Her shoulders immediately relaxed.

"Good," she said, releasing a heavy breath he hadn't realized she'd been holding. After a moment, she went to stand, but her legs were wobbling precariously. He swiftly but gently took her arm and helped lift her to her feet.

"Thanks," she mumbled gruffly.

"Of course." 

Sokka couldn't tell which one of them moved first. But one second later, they were hugging, clutching one another almost painfully. He knew that they should be more cautious and move quickly. Fire nation soldiers could be upon them at any moment, and with the comet, their bending could knock them out of the sky in no time at all. But the tears welling up in his eyes were making it difficult to see much of anything. All he could do was surrender to the small part of him that was still the frightened young boy who never wanted to fight in a war in the first place. That distant but always present part of him that just wanted to hold his friend and assure himself that she was unharmed. He had already failed to keep Suki with them, and he cursed himself for it. But he could still protect Toph; it wasn't too late to keep her safe. By the grace of the spirits, he wasn't left to face the fire nation's wrath on his own. And they still had a chance.

When he pulled back, he could see Toph wiping away tears of her own. He knew better than to say a word as she collected herself. In a move that he should've seen coming, her fist launched out and collided with his arm. The familiar sting had never been so comforting.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this," he declared, with a confidence he didn't have. But saying it aloud made it more believable somehow. "Just stay with me."

"You know better than to boss me around, Snoozles," she said, her signature smirk gracing her face for a moment. He smiled back, though she couldn't see it. The brief reappearance of her usual snark brought him a wave of pure relief. It was almost enough to make him forget about the fiery disaster miles under their feet. Not quite though. "But I'll do my best."

"Good," he said, taking her hand in his. "Are you ready to keep going?"

"As I'll ever be," she agreed, her face set. He was about to take off running when she blurted, "Wait, Sokka?"

"Yeah?" he asked, whipping around to look at her.

"Suki will be okay, we'll find her. She's tough, plus she can actually see. From my most recent experience, that's a definite point in her favor," Toph supplied, squeezing his hand almost fiercely. He felt another rush of gratitude for her. Without him saying a word about it, she knew how troubled his mind was. He couldn't ask for a better companion to have at his side when facing what felt like the world's end. Whether they failed or succeeded, blessedly, it would be together.

"Thank you, Toph," he said softly, squeezing her hand back. It might've just been the fire's heat below, but he could've sworn she was blushing. No, he told himself, it was just the heat. "Alright, let's go finish this thing."

After flashing one last toothy grin his way, she nodded. They bolted onward, hopes renewed, ready to fight for a chance at tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Kudos are greatly appreciated :)


End file.
